1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to fence posts and columns of an ornamental nature, such as those exemplified in the spanish wrought iron designs of the 18th and 19th centuries, and more particularly to a device and method of fabrication for an easily installed ornamental fence post or column composed of fiberglass or the like and having a reinforced interior structure of steel or the like.
2. Prior Art and General Background
The ornamental fence posts and/or columns exemplified in the past typically were constructed of cast iron or the like. These fences required constant painting to prevent rust and were surprisingly fragile due to the brittle nature of cast iron. In addition, the costs of fabricating an ornamental iron fence post or column has increased dramatically over the years, to the point of making them prohibitively expensive.
While the prior art apparently does not anticipate the present invention, it does teach various devices and methods regarding the utilization of a material other than that traditionally contemplated for the construction of fences and fence posts or columns.
Prior patents which may be of interest are listed below:
______________________________________ Pat. No. Patentee(s) Year of Issue ______________________________________ 58,300 S. H. Rose 1866 250,046 T. Rogers 1881 301,108 A. W. Furness 1884 754,119 J. C. Brooks 1904 1,316,893 G. E. Hohaus 1919 2,027,493 W. J. Thilborger 1936 2,073,947 J. A. Sander 1937 2,766,015 W. R. Farmer 1956 3,339,895 E. J. Kusel et al 1967 3,711,066 Niemiec 1973 3,801,072 Newberry, Jr. 1974 4,053,140 Clemens et al 1977 4,060,222 Pitkin et al 1977 4,324,388 Klaser 1982 4,357,000 Tisbo et al 1982 4,540,160 Zanavich et al 1985 ______________________________________ Patent 3,711,066 issued 1973 and entitled "Snap Lock Plastic Fencing" teaches a plurality of adjacent fence sections "to produce decorative and protective borders for lawns, gardens, and flower beds". The sections are composed integrally of molded plastic and include at least two stake members for easy installation.
Patent 4,060,222 issued in 1977 and entitled "Prefabricated Fencing System" teaches an easily installed, prefabricated fencing structure composed of plastic and includes a "rod driven axially through the post into the ground to eliminate the need for post hole digging".
The above cited patents contemplate plastic fences for placement on lawns, pastures and the like and do not incorporate, to a significant degree, non-plastic components for structural stability in the manner contemplated in the present invention. Additionally, the fabrication process as contemplated for in the prior art is obviously distinguishable from the present invention.
Patent 3,801,072 issued 1974 and entitled "Fence Panel" teaches a fiberglass fensing panel which "duplicates the physical appearance of the original panel on one face and includes an integrally formed mounting frame on the opposite face". The panels are supported between the conventional fence posts to form a fiberglass fence having the "physical appearance of a conventional fence".
This patent is likewise distinguishable from the present invention, which teaches a fence post and not a panel, and has a new and unique means of fabrication utilizing latex molds, as well as integral structural reenforcement means utilizing steel tubing or the like.
3. General, Summary Discussion of the Invention
The present invention overcomes these prior art problems by providing a system which is highly reliable, relatively economical and very cost effective.
The present invention comprises a new and unique method and apparatus in the form of an ornamental fence post or column utilizing steel reinforcement means, and having an exterior composition of molded fiberglass and resin or the like. The mold for the post or column is fabricated by utilizing a model which may in fact be the wrought iron fence post or column which the maker seeks to duplicate.
An enumerated above, the present invention has many desirable characteristics over traditional wrought iron fencing. For example, the present invention does not require painting, as the fiberglass resin can be dyed the desired color. Further, the utilization of the resin compound in lieu of iron drastically decreases the cost of materials, fabrication and erection and has been found to actually have an increased durability over iron.
In erecting a wrought iron fence, one must weld together the various components; this can be a very costly and time consuming process on its own. With the present invention, one merely bolts the respective components together utilizing standard nuts and bolts. Further, the fiberglass fence post and/or column, with its steel reenforcement, may be mounted in cement, just as its predecessor was.
Yet, the present invention has the same appearance of the traditional wrought iron which it imitates; the intricacy of the design of the wrought iron model is duplicated with the molding process. The result is that one may copy an existing design for a wrought iron post or column, and thereby construct a fiberglass, steel reenforced version.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a fiberglass fence post or column which is durable, easily fabricated, cost effective, and does not require periodic maintenance.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a fiberglass fence post or column which is attractive in appearance and which duplicates traditional wrought iron designs in an authentic manner.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide a fiberglass fence post or column which is reinforced with steel or the like in such a manner as to further increase its structural stability.
It is still further an object of the present invention to provide a molding process for fiberglass fence posts or columns which duplicates traditional wrought iron designs and provides for a manner in which to incorporate steel reinforcement.